pharmacy- an awful career?

R.T.K

I got an offer on friday to do pharmacy and i told my friends. The first thing they said was, '' would you really like to spend your life putting pills into a bottle''. They went onto say the max pay u can get in pharm is onli 40k and that i shudnt do it.

What does eveyrone think? is it really a bad career?

Reply 1

JayEm

14

R.T.K

'' would you really like to spend your life putting pills into a bottle''

That's what technicians are hired for.

You don't have to work at a chemist, there's always hospital and industry. The Big Cheese in hospitals can earn ~£80k.

If after the degree you find you don't want to work in pharmacy, you could always take a different career path, but will still always have something to fall back on. Out of interest, what are your friends applying for?

Reply 2

Mustard-man

18

Hospital can earn £80? :eek:

But that's really high position isn't it (i.e. director of department)?

Reply 3

R.T.K

OP

JayEm

That's what technicians are hired for.

You don't have to work at a chemist, there's always hospital and industry. The Big Cheese in hospitals can earn ~£80k.

If after the degree you find you don't want to work in pharmacy, you could always take a different career path, but will still always have something to fall back on. Out of interest, what are your friends applying for?

biochem,law and business, computer science, business

Reply 4

JayEm

14

Mustard-man

Hospital can earn £80? :eek:

But that's really high position isn't it (i.e. director of department)?

Yeah as I said, The Big Cheese :biggrin:

Reply 5

JayEm

14

R.T.K

biochem,law and business, computer science, business

The only high paying one there if you're good at it is Law, so they can't really talk. Do what you enjoy, don't listen to your friends.

Reply 6

Mustard-man

18

Oh yeah, so you did :p:

. I doubt I'll get to that position :p:

Reply 7

R.T.K

OP

what about industry and community jayem, whats the top money?

Reply 8

KellsEnder

7

R.T.K

I got an offer on friday to do pharmacy and i told my friends. The first thing they said was, '' would you really like to spend your life putting pills into a bottle''. They went onto say the max pay u can get in pharm is onli 40k and that i shudnt do it.

What does eveyrone think? is it really a bad career?

1. £40,000 a year is damn good money.
2. They don't seem to know what they're talking about. As JayEm has already said, pharmacists can earn in excess of £80,000 a year.

Reply 9

JayEm

14

R.T.K

what about industry and community jayem, whats the top money?

Not too sure about industry, all I know is you need a phd to get into the power positions.

In community, you can work your way up to management positions in places like Boots etc. Or you can locum, where you move around and work in a number of pharmacies. Current rate is about £25 per hour.

Reply 10

R.T.K

OP

KellsEnder

1. £40,000 a year is damn good money.
2. They don't seem to know what they're talking about. As JayEm has already said, pharmacists can earn in excess of £80,000 a year.

are you a pharmacist by chance?

Reply 11

R.T.K

OP

JayEm

Not too sure about industry, all I know is you need a phd to get into the power positions.

In community, you can work your way up to management positions in places like Boots etc. Or you can locum, where you move around and work in a number of pharmacies. Current rate is about £25 per hour.

my heart is set on hosp but i heard it takes a good 10 years to get atleast 40k

Reply 12

JayEm

14

R.T.K

my heart is set on hosp but i heard it takes a good 10 years to get atleast 40k

Yeah, hospital pharmacy starting pay is the lowest out of all the branches

Some links:
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/nhs-knowledge_base/data/4778.html

Pharmacist pay bands:
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/nhs-knowledge_base/data/5581.html

Reply 13

R.T.K

OP

JayEm

Yeah, hospital pharmacy starting pay is the lowest out of all the branches

Some links:
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/nhs-knowledge_base/data/4778.html

Pharmacist pay bands:
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/nhs-knowledge_base/data/5581.html

those 2 links are really useful, thanks so much :smile:

. However what does band 5 etc mean?. Also is there anywhere on the net u can search for pharmacy jobs?

Reply 14

JayEm

14

The different bands are basically the different levels of experience you have. You start somewhere near the bottom and work your way up.

For pharmacist jobs, :google:

Reply 15

Hell Boy

2

Pharmacology and Microbiology are quite similar altough the pay is better

Reply 16

Jimmocrates

10

I'm a pre-reg in hospital on band 5. ie £19,166.
Its plentiful for me for the time being. If i stay on next year, word is that pay will nudge up to about £25k. Not as much as if i opted for community, but still ample.

Its really interesting too.

Don't listen to people who haven't looked into it as a career, as its inevitable they'll be talking out of their arses.

Reply 17

Gemma1725

5

To be honest, as a locum you can earn as much or as little as you want depending on the hours you put in and the pay for each company is normally different.